5 transfer deals Manchester United could likely seal in January

The January transfer window could be crucial to Manchester United’s season. It remains to be seen if there will be any outgoing transfers and if Jose Mourinho will finally get the players he wants.

FOX Sports Asia looks at five transfer deals Manchester United could likely seal in January:

#1 Matteo Darmian (Out, permanent)

Matteo Darmian has been linked with a return to the Serie A ever since Jose Mourinho took over at Manchester United but somehow, he’s still at the club albeit as a squad player.

The 29-year-old has played only three games for United this season and faces stiff competition for places from the likes of Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young and Diogo Dalot.

The Italian was linked with a move to Juventus and Inter Milan in the summer but now, it looks like he may stay in the Premier League as his compatriot, Claudio Ranieri, has eyed up a move for him in a bid to plug the holes in Fulham’s leaky defence.

#2 Alexis Sanchez (Out, permanent)

Almost a year ago, Alexis Sanchez was the subject of an intense transfer battle between Manchester United and Manchester City with the former securing a deal by offering Henrikh Mkhitaryan in return.

He arrived with a lot of fanfare and expectations but he has only found the back of the net four times in 30 games and has often looked like a man bereft of confidence and unsettled in his new surroundings.

Sanchez has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford since the summer and it could eventually happen in January. However, his huge wages will prove to be a stumbling block for any potential transfer.

#3 Nikola Milenkovic (In, permanent)

Manchester United currently has five centre-backs on its roster namely Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof. Despite this, the club was linked with a move for many central defenders including Toby Alderweireld, Diego Godin, Leonardo Bonucci and Harry Maguire among others.

United didn’t sign a centre-back in the summer so that search might continue in January and could end with the arrival of Fiorentina’s Nikola Milenkovic.

The 21-year-old centre-back has earned rave reviews for his performance with the Viola in Serie A. Given the fact that he will need time to settle into a new league and system, a move in January will give him ample time to bed in before cementing his place in the starting XI next season much like Aymeric Laporte at Manchester City.

Fiorentina expect any interested parties to fork out £50m for the highly rated defender and if United deem him worthy of the fee, then he could be heading to England in January.

#4 Andreas Pereira (Out, permanent)

Andreas Pereira is one of many Manchester United players in the final year of their contract but unlike the others, the Brazilian isn’t a key member of the first team and could be allowed to leave in January for a nominal fee.

Pereira returned to the club ahead of the ongoing season after impressing on loan at Valencia. He impressed in pre-season and started the first two Premier League games of the campaign. Since then, he has made three further appearances in all competitions and all of them were as a substitute.

It is clear that the Brazilian doesn’t have a long-term future at the club but there were won’t be any shortage of admirers for the talented youngster.

#5 Noam Emeran (In, permanent)

Noam Emeran is not a renowned name in the football world as he’s still only 16 years old but he could be a future superstar.

The teenager plays for the reserve side of Ligue 1 club Amiens and was targeted by European giants such as PSG, Barcelona, Juventus and Valencia. However, Emeran seems to have joined United and the move could be completed in January.

The 16-year-old forward has drawn comparisons to Manchester City’s Leroy Sane and United will be hoping that Emeran can live up to the potential he has shown.

Amiens are demanding £1.8million rising with add-ons and a sell-on percentage for the promising teenager.